Good things about migration

[Ernie]

Last week a group of us were able to begin the application process for a Rohingya family that is living in Bangladesh. The USA has a new program called WelcomeCorp that allows five individuals to help sponsor refugees directly, rather than working through an immigration NGO.
We don't know what will happen and how long it will take since the Rohingya people have no legal status or documentation anywhere and can’t get any. This is something you can pray with us about.

Again, if you want info about supporting Rohingya refugees, you can PM me with your email address.

Here are a couple articles to learn about Rohingya’s.

https://www.plainnews.org/2017/09/13/th ... call-home/

https://www.plainnews.org/wp-content/up ... Crisis.pdf

[RZehr]

I’m interested in this.

[barnhart]

A member of our church is the medical officer in one of the few healthcare clinics in Cox's Bazaar camp where the Rohingya have fled. We get regular email updates from her. There is a lot of need there.

[Josh]

Is this still the "good things about migration" thread?

Perhaps it could be called "Good things for migrants who want to migrate". I note there has not been much said at all about whether or not migration is good for the people who are already here.

[ken_sylvania]

Is this still the "good things about migration" thread?

Perhaps it could be called "Good things for migrants who want to migrate". I note there has not been much said at all about whether or not migration is good for the people who are already here.

I think that helping migrants to settle in and live among us and become part of the local community is good for us. Many of them have a lot to teach us about being satisfied with fewer material things, about the value of family and relationships, about work ethic, and gratitude.

[Josh]

I think that helping migrants to settle in and live among us and become part of the local community is good for us. Many of them have a lot to teach us about being satisfied with fewer material things, about the value of family and relationships, about work ethic, and gratitude.

Perhaps, then, migrants settling here is bad for them, since our American culture is good at teaching them how to not be satisfied until they have more material things, and how to undervalue family and relationships, have a poor work ethic, and be ungrateful.

[ken_sylvania]

I think that helping migrants to settle in and live among us and become part of the local community is good for us. Many of them have a lot to teach us about being satisfied with fewer material things, about the value of family and relationships, about work ethic, and gratitude.

Perhaps, then, migrants settling here is bad for them, since our American culture is good at teaching them how to not be satisfied until they have more material things, and how to undervalue family and relationships, have a poor work ethic, and be ungrateful.

Is that what you learned in America?

[Josh]

Perhaps, then, migrants settling here is bad for them, since our American culture is good at teaching them how to not be satisfied until they have more material things, and how to undervalue family and relationships, have a poor work ethic, and be ungrateful.

Is that what you learned in America?

Australia (and many other countries in the world) have mastered "distance learning" of American cultural values, but yes, upon moving to America, I got to learn about a culture where making lots of money is valued (but working hard for a modest wage is viewed as something a chump does), and a definite undervaluing of family and relationships. Moving across the country for a better job is normal. Intense work stresses often led to divorces. People seem very focused on acquiring stuff. They have to buy barns to hold all their stuff. They get storage units to store even more stuff.

And it seems a day doesn't go by now that I don't hear about the poor work ethic of the typical American worker. So a real question is, if migrants have such excellent values... why on earth would it be a good thing for them to come to America?

[ken_sylvania]

Perhaps, then, migrants settling here is bad for them, since our American culture is good at teaching them how to not be satisfied until they have more material things, and how to undervalue family and relationships, have a poor work ethic, and be ungrateful.

Is that what you learned in America?

Australia (and many other countries in the world) have mastered "distance learning" of American cultural values, but yes, upon moving to America, I got to learn about a culture where making lots of money is valued (but working hard for a modest wage is viewed as something a chump does), and a definite undervaluing of family and relationships. Moving across the country for a better job is normal. Intense work stresses often led to divorces. People seem very focused on acquiring stuff. They have to buy barns to hold all their stuff. They get storage units to store even more stuff.

And it seems a day doesn't go by now that I don't hear about the poor work ethic of the typical American worker. So a real question is, if migrants have such excellent values... why on earth would it be a good thing for them to come to America?

I am very sorry that living in America has made you unsatisfied and ungrateful and given you a poor work ethic.

[Josh]

I am very sorry that living in America has made you unsatisfied and ungrateful and given you a poor work ethic.

I simply restated what barnhart said, except the mirror of them. I think we can all agree that America's presiding cultural values right now are excessive consumerism, consumption, lack of contentment with material things, and chasing the dollar. None of that is good.

As far as work ethic goes, there are even plenty of threads on MennoNet complaining about the poor work ethic of younger workers in America.

(One might say I am not an American nationalist. I don't think America represents the kingdom of heaven, or anything even close to it.)